170. The Festival Must Go On (3)
170. The Festival Must Go On (3)
CRACK-A-BOOM—!!!
BOOM—!!
WHOOSH—!!
SLASH—!
Jets of seawater explode into mist, and thunderous roars echo across the vast ocean.
With every blow, another colossal monster becomes a corpse and piles up.
A breathtaking battle.
The sight of the Utopia Party spectacularly obliterating an endless swarm of monsters unfolded before our eyes like a movie.
Jin Yu-ha, systematically dismantling enemies one by one without his feet ever touching the ground.
Kang Do-hee, gleefully smashing monsters to pieces with her fists and feet.
Lee Yu-ri, pushing back the surging horde of monsters without yielding a single inch.
Sofia and Im Ga-eul also joined forces, methodically eliminating foes one after another.
A mere five people overwhelming a literally countless number of monsters—it was a spectacle more than enough to send the crowd into a frenzy.
WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—!
The people roared at the top of their lungs, screaming themselves hoarse.
— Utopia is the best!!!
— Aaaah! Yu-ha oppa!!!!!
The suffocating tension and raw immediacy were on a completely different level from anything they had ever seen on video. The pounding music thrumming in their ears blended with the thunderous noise of monster subjugation, making every spectator's heart race.
The emotion felt by those watching this was no longer fear.
Thrill, exhilaration, catharsis.
Anyone living in the Gate Era harbors some degree of hatred and terror toward monsters. After all, they were enemies who could snatch away this peaceful daily life and your precious loved ones in an instant.
"...This is insane. For real!! Kill those goddamn monster bastards! Wipe them all out!! Hell yeah!!!"
How could anyone not go wild watching the very creatures synonymous with that fear being swept away helplessly before their eyes?
Honestly, it was a deeper thrill than any of the flashy festival events originally planned.
"...Hey, didn't you say you're subscribed to the Utopia channel? Does it show stuff like this there too?"
"Uh, um, w-well, yeah, but..."
"Have you been secretly keeping this awesome stuff to yourself!?"
"Th-they mostly just showed Demonized Human hunts before! And this is the first time they've all fought together in a group like this!"
"Oh for fuck's sake, if this is what you've been watching, you should've told me to check it out ages ago! Damn, I'm so glad we came to the Haeundae Festival. Watching those goddamn monster bastards get wrecked live and in person..."
Those who had previously been indifferent or unaware of Utopia were deeply impressed, steadily becoming fans.
"Whoa shit!! Look at Fighting Dog! She's just casually grabbing and ripping them apart with her bare hands—it's like a next-level crab-shelling masterclass."
"Mm, Do-hee tears crabs apart."
"...Uh, yeah, I mean, that's true, but I could do that too?"
"Damn, just look at our Gukbap, so dependable."
"But seriously, that gross swarm isn't pushing her back at all. If it were me, I'd have lost my shit."
"Oh, she's banging her shield! Look at those crabs' eyes spinning around—hilarious."
"Kinda looks like when the bar owner bangs a pot with a ladle and all the day laborers snap to attention, doesn't it?"
"Huh? But aren't Sofia and Im Ga-eul support roles?"
"...Uh, yeah?"
"But those two are kicking ass too?"
"Right? Does the Utopia Party throw their support roles into direct combat too?"
"But what's up with that Support chick?"
"That's her Squinting Mastermind concept."
"Fucking hilarious."
Those who already knew and were fans of the Utopia Party only found their loyalty deepening.
[ A-Amazing!!! The Utopia Party! They're not giving up a single step against those countless enemies! Truly, they live up to their reputation! I feel like I finally understand exactly why Utopia is called the next-generation rising star!!! ]
Seo A-yoon was shouting at the top of her lungs, spit flying, a vein standing out on her neck.
Meanwhile, Shin Se-hee, who had been staring blankly at Jin Yu-ha for a while, finally regained some composure.
[ Jin Yu-ha's feet aren't touching the ground at all!!! I can't even see the sword in his hand!!! ]
Shin Se-hee had originally sat here to provide commentary on the Utopia Party's battle. But the sheer shocking visual of Jin Yu-ha's smile from just moments ago had made her forget her role entirely, and she'd been momentarily spellbound.
Glance.
'Mmm, well, looks like she's managing just fine on her own without me...'
[ Wow! One after another! They're no match for them at all!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!!! ]
By now, Seo A-yoon had one foot up on the table, passionately commentating on the situation.
Without touching her microphone, Shin Se-hee steadied her gaze and observed the flow of battle.
'...The monsters are definitely reacting to the crowd's cheers. Things are proceeding exactly as Jin Yu-ha predicted.'
Truth be told, she had been worried when he said they'd fight the Blue Crab swarm without any elaborate strategy.
Of course, the Utopia Party's power level was now such that they could easily handle one or two A-Rank monsters without breaking a sweat. She hadn't doubted him, given that they were clearing B-Rank dungeons—where an A-Rank monster appears as the boss—without a scratch. Still, she'd thought that a mere five people continuously holding back such a massive Monster Wave was reckless no matter how you looked at it.
'Who would've thought noise and vibration were the Blue Crabs' weakness... And to exploit it by using the concert venue itself.'
The Blue Crab was a rare monster species to begin with, meaning it hadn't been thoroughly researched. Yet Jin Yu-ha had already known a countermeasure against such an unfamiliar monster, and he was now implementing it in a creative way no one else could have imagined.
'Not only that...'
Shin Se-hee lifted a hand and surveyed the faces of the people passionately cheering for the Utopia Party.
'Because of today's incident, the party's public recognition is going to skyrocket.'
Normally, it wasn't easy for civilians to witness hunters battling monsters up close like this. After all, modern technology didn't work inside dungeons; only Artifacts could function there.
Consequently, the only real combat footage against actual monsters that occasionally circulated were clips recorded on personal cameras during Gate Break incidents. The current reality was that people usually had to settle for training concept videos uploaded by guilds or parties, where they fought virtual monsters.
But what Jin Yu-ha was showing them right now was completely different.
He was delivering vivid, visceral scenes of monster subjugation right before their eyes—stimulating, yet without putting their lives at risk.
It was an obvious foregone conclusion that the people cheering wildly here today would become the rock-solid, concrete supporters sustaining Utopia in the future.
'Heh-heh, honestly... Is this why Jin Yu-ha never told me, even if he knew all along?'
Since Jin Yu-ha could see the future, he must have certainly known that an incident like today's would erupt.
This was unlike the past, where he always gave them a heads-up and had them prepare before something broke out.
The other party members didn't seem to think too deeply about it, likely because the idea that Jin Yu-ha could see the future hadn't crossed their minds, but Shin Se-hee hadn't forgotten that point.
— Sofia! Heal Kang Do-hee! She got grazed!
— Okay!!!
The scene playing out on screen looked genuinely desperate and intensely real. The sight of them, clad in nothing but swimsuits, fighting as if trying desperately to keep the monsters from reaching the civilians.
It was a scene that could never have happened if all the party members had known about today's incident in advance and prepared for it.
'Hmm, but still... isn't it a bit of a shame to only turn the people gathered here into our supporters?'
Shin Se-hee, who had been quietly watching the battle, pulled an object from her Subspace Tattoo. It was her phone. She tapped on the YouTube channel she managed.
Ding—♬
《 Channel, Utopia has started a live stream. 》
— ???
— Huh?
— What's this? The Utopia Party suddenly started a live stream?
— I came running in thinking a new video dropped, someone who got baited, hit like, starting with me lol lol lol lol lol lol
┗ Approved
┗ Approved
┗ Approved
The moment she turned on the live stream, thousands of people entered the chat as if they'd been waiting.
— But why a sudden live stream?
— Yeah, for real. I'm a total bum who does my daily 1-Yu-ha anyway, so I'm totally stoked you're throwing us some crumbs, but what's the occasion?
Shin Se-hee had been waiting with the lens covered until enough people had joined; she now angled the camera to show her face.
— Oh, it's Shin Se-hee!
— Cheonhwa! (Means Shin Se-hee's fan nickname.)
— Cheonhwa!
— Cheonhwa!
— Cheonhwa!
With an angelic face, Shin Se-hee waved at the camera.
"Hello, everyone. I'm doing an emergency live stream today!"
— Oh... A-are you wearing only underwear?
— No? Looks like a swimsuit?
"Hehe, that's right. Our Utopia Party is currently visiting the Haeundae Festival, you see?"
Shin Se-hee smiled and calmly continued her explanation.
"But just as we got here to have fun, guess what—a Monster Wave suddenly broke out."
At that, everyone expressed shock.
— Uh, Monster Wave?
— I think she's talking about the Monster Wave happening at Haeundae right now!?
— The place that just showed up in the news!? The Haeundae Festival?
┗ Yeah, looks like it?
┗ So you're saying she's live at the Monster Wave scene right now...?
┗ Well, it is a live stream, after all? (Nod)
Without adding another word, Shin Se-hee turned her phone around and aimed it at the holographic screen.
Right now, it was showing the individual combat scenes of each party member.
— Whoa, holy shit. What's with their outfits?
— lol lol lol lol lol lol Looks like they were chilling at the beach and suddenly got hit with shit.
— Yeah, guess they didn't even have time to change.
"Yes, that's right. Fortunately, all the civilians evacuated in time. We're currently scrambling to deal with the situation right now!"
— Our Squinting Mastermind noona... Despite her petty personality, her heart... is truly grand.
— Fighting Dog's body is insane. What the hell is up with those abs...
— Personally, I'd say Sofia is top-tier in the body department. Once a model, always a model, huh.
— Gukbap's one-piece swimsuit is so cute!!!
Then, suddenly, Jin Yu-ha appeared prominently on the screen showing the party members.
The sight of him swinging his sword with a cool smirk under the sunlight.
"Hnngh."
Shin Se-hee sucked in a breath involuntarily.
— .......
The chat window also fell momentarily silent.
— holy....
— I didn't know... turns out I like Jin Yu-ha....
— Today's peeled-Yu-ha's decadent beauty is freaking insane, for real.... Woah.
┗ Can you please clarify if "peeled" means his top or his hair?
┗ What do you mean of course it's his top.
┗ Yu-ha-oppa-titty-party!
┗ Reported for sexual harassment.
┗ B-but honestly, the judge enjoyed it too....
— Pa
— ra
— di
— se
— Pa
— rad
— ...Sec?
┗ You crazy bastard.
It was the moment Jin Yu-ha's image, now spammed with the word "paradise," spread across the entire nation.